Author's note: For those of you reading this story as it's coming out and not 10 years in the future, you're some lucky fools as I'm going to be uploading a chapter once a day for a week since I'm so ahead of schedule. So enjoy my lovelies.

P.s. I feel as though the next few chapters have a lot of dialogue and less story progression, but I still hope you enjoy nonetheless :)

Kowalski hadn't stayed in the same room when Red One confessed his wrong doings to Blowhole. He was either a brave little lobster or the most stupid thing on the planet to purposely anger a 'monster'.

Kowalski got on with work in Blowhole's office. Just a few more hours of computer work before he could start testing and experimenting with the real virus. Although progress was swift, he felt on edge by the eerie silence. Blowhole wasn't a very quiet guy so Kowalski had no idea why he wasn't screaming the lair down already. Or perhaps he had killed the lobster the second he revealed the truth and there was no need for screaming. Kowalski didn't know and he didn't like it.

Most of the day went by until early evening rolled around. Kowalski hadn't seen Blowhole since Red One confessed and he grew worried. Perhaps Blowhole was working, but Kowalski had been in the lab for most of the afternoon and he hadn't seen even a clue that Blowhole was anywhere.

Kowalski also grew uneasy upon thinking whether he should leave for the night or keep working. The margin of time for creating this cure was getting smaller and smaller as time and days went by so Kowalski worked until his little flippers were sore and he was exhausted. Even then, he kept working, ignoring the urge of hunger in his stomach, the ache of his eyes and the pounding in his head. He didn't have to worry about Skipper any longer, since he knew he was working on this cure. So Kowalski abandoned his needs for sleep and food and kept working well into the night.

Glancing at the clock on the computer monitor, Kowalski sighed as another hour of the night went by and time stood at 11pm. He should stop. His work would get more sloppy the more tired he got and he simply couldn't afford to make mistakes.

Luckily for him, or unlucky given whether he was favouring rest or work, the door to the lab opened. In rode an angel, one Kowalski hoped would take him to bed.

"Kowalski? You're still working?"

It was Doris. Kowalski took a few seconds to clear his mind and respond.

"Doris? What are you doing here? It's so late."

Doris rode into the room and up to the desk Kowalski was stationed at.

"I wanted to check up on Francis before bed. Where is he?"

Kowalski looked back to the door as it slid closed again, thrusting the room into the same weird silence he had been immersed in for hours.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him for hours. We had a revelation that changed everything."

Doris blinked, interested, but said nothing so Kowalski could explain.

"Red One did this. His best friend..."

Doris gasped silently and shook her head. Her brows knitted down as anger filled her too. Kowalski had moved past the initial anger and was now in denial. But Doris was passionate, she didn't like to let her anger go, just like her brother.

"I have a feeling I know where he is."

Doris said nothing else as she headed for the door again and disappeared. Kowalski was once again left alone in silence. He knew he probably should have given himself a rest but he couldn't stop the fears of failing.

Down in the lower level of the lair, Blowhole swam in circles in the indoor pool. Not very fast circles, he more or less just glided around and let the whirlpool he was creating carry him.

He heard the door open from below the surface and rose up out of the water to inspect. Who could have been there so late at night? A lobster for late night maintenance?

"Doris? What are you doing here so late? I told you not to come here. Don't you ever listen?"

Doris shook her head as though she was dramatically making sure Blowhole knew he had no power over her. She then moved from the door further into the room.

"You said I could visit. And it looks like I'm just on time. You're spiraling again."

"No I'm not."

This warranted another very dramatic brow perk from Doris as she just stared at Blowhole who lowered his head in defeat.

"Have you told mom?"

"Eh, not exactly. You know she'll get mad. I don't think you need that on your mind too."

Blowhole stayed silent. What more could he say? He didn't want to say anything.

"You know Kowalski's still up there working."

Blowhole suddenly perked his head up in surprise.

"He is? Why? I thought he would have left hours ago."

Doris shrugged and rode forward before slipping off the segway and onto the floor to be eye level with her brother.

"It is strange. Have you drugged him?"

Blowhole suddenly backed up with an offended look on his face.

"What? No! Everything Kowalski has done past us finding out I'm infected has been on his own free will."

Doris nodded.

"You have to go tell him to rest. He looked like death."

Blowhole let his head lean on the side of the pool. He was tired too.

"I try not to read into things too much but I think he's doing all of this for you."

"For me?"

"Yes. You're his religion, he can't fail you."

Doris looked down and sighed. A slightly strangled sigh that she perhaps didn't mean to let out.

"I wish he would for once."

"And have me turn into a monster?" Blowhole teased.

"No, no! He's just so desperate."

Blowhole chuckled at that and shook his head slowly.

"Is this the upcoming 17th breakup?" He teased again.

Doris chuckled back, then took a second to stare off at nothing and look back to her brother with a childish giggle.

"I was kinda hoping you'd pull a Jay on me."

Blowhole laughed back and playfully pushed her shoulder.

"With Kowalski? You have to be kidding."

Doris laughed and pushed her brother back.

"Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em. You don't play Monopoly with just anyone."

Blowhole rolled his eye and crossed his flippers.

"Why are girls always like this? A guy can't just have a friend, it always has to be a potential love interest."

"You can have friends. You've had friends. You just seem to like my leftovers for some reason."

Blowhole growled playfully and dragged himself up out of the pool.

"Enough! I'll go check on Kowalski. You go home, it's getting late."

Doris chuckled as she climbed back onto her segway and followed her brother to the door once he had secured himself on his.

He saw her out and wished her a goodnight as she disappeared out of the -2 underwater entrance/exit. From there he mulled over his thoughts for a while. The visit from Doris had been nice and had let him clear his mind somewhat, even if he was still overwhelmed by everything that had been happening. That's why he went for a swim. The ocean always made him feel normal. Or as normal as he could possibly feel. But not wanting to spread disease he had used the indoor pool.

Although it was late, Blowhole had no intentions on sleeping. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to even if he tried. He supposed he had to deal with Kowalski first, though, if he wanted to do anything else that night.

Blowhole slowly made his way to the lab, where he opened the door and found Kowalski slouched over on the desk, a pencil in his beak and a test tube in his flippers. Doris was right, he looked like death with his red eyes and his staggered movements.

Blowhole shook his head and sighed as he rolled over to the desk.

"Kowalski, you have to stop."

"But I'm on a roll now," Kowalski mumbled as the pencil dropped out of his beak.

"You're exhausted and you're going to make mistakes that will kill me faster," Blowhole said bluntly.

Kowalski sighed and released the test tube in his flippers.

"I can't sleep. I haven't been able to sleep for weeks."

"Then don't sleep. Come have a coffee with me."

"This late?"

"Well, you could stay and sleep on the desk," Blowhole said, crossing his flippers and getting annoyed with the conversation already.

Kowalski obliged and hopped down from the desk, but miscalculated how far down the ground was and tripped upon hitting the floor. Blowhole snickered and but hid his face as Kowalski stared up with a scowl.

"Shut up. I'm tired," he mumbled again.

Blowhole rolled his eye and made a pouting face.

"And I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"Well I am doing this for you. You should be kissing my scaley orange feet."

Blowhole chuckled as he watched the penguin slowly waddle over to his segway, stumbling every now and again but catching himself before he could go down.

"As much as I'd love to kiss your feet, Kowalski, groveling isn't really my thing. I'd much rather have you kiss my er- flukes?"

Kowalski reached the segway and held out a flipper to steady himself on the contraption as he looked up at Blowhole.

"Your whit failing you?"

Blowhole said nothing. Just looked down with a smirk as he rolled back on his segway, causing Kowalski to let go and instantly lose his balance as he toppled to the floor on his face.

"You're drunkenly tired."

Kowalski just mumbled something inaudible as he climbed to his knees.

Blowhole took pity on the poor bird and leaned down to pick him up. Kowalski startled as he was hoisted up in the air and plonked down on Blowhole's segway console. Being this high up, however, did not help his sense of balance as he began to rock back. Fearing he was going to fall to the ground, his back was stopped and pressed up against the dolphin. Kowalski sighed and calmed his heart as he looked straight up and into the dolphin's eye, who was in turn looking straight down at the penguin.

"Hold on tight. Don't fall. If you break your bones or I run you over it's not my fault, ok?"

Kowalski just nodded and looked straight ahead as the dolphin started his journey to the kitchen.

Blowhole was sure that the bird would probably agree to anything given his tired state of mind. He was completely worn out physically and mentally and Blowhole had to admit it would probably be funny to mess with him. He didn't, however. His top priority was getting Kowalski to take some rest and get some food into him so he would be able to keep working the next day.

They arrived at the kitchen and Blowhole set Kowalski gently down on the table before heading over to the cupboards.

Kowalski didn't waste anytime in ordering Blowhole around with demands.

"Make me something strong."

Blowhole rolled his eye and bit back a growl. He didn't want to agitate the tired penguin but no one bosses Blowhole around. So instead he nodded and went back to his cunning self.

"I'll do you one better," he said.

Blowhole set out 2 hot beverages on the table. One for Kowalski and one for himself. He told Kowalski they were chai lattes, which they were. Kowalski was ignorant when it came to coffee so just guessed because it had the word latte in it, it was filled with caffeine. To Blowhole's humour, a chai latte was actually a type of indian tea. No coffee in it at all. Kowalski didn't complain though, he enjoyed every drop of it.